We're No. 1 - and we're not happy about it. That's because the category is borrowers in Southeast Texas who fall behind on those questionable payday loans or vehicle title loans. These loans are often traps that too many desperate people fall into, and the Legislature should do something about them.

The main problems with these loans are their short terms, high interest rates and additional fees. The bottom line is that many borrowers can't pay them off on time. That means a borrower ends up paying loads of interest - or losing his vehicle if it's a title loan. In the Beaumont area in just the first six months of this year, almost 400 people lost their rides this way.

Some people who take out these loans understand the risks, but others don't. Some lenders clearly state the terms of the loans, but others don't. Even for educated and wealthy people, deciphering a stack of documents filled with legalese and fine print can be daunting.

State Rep. Joe Deshotel and other lawmakers have been trying to bring some relief, but their bills keep failing to reach the governor's desk. That should change in the coming session, with reasonable controls like limits on interest rates and chances for borrowers to pay down principal instead of accumulated interest.

No one is asking short-term lenders to give away money or operate without a profit. But at the other extreme, they shouldn't be allowed to prey on the poor or gouge the uninformed either.

There's a better balance here, and the Legislature needs to finally find it with new regulations and oversight.